Sometimes you want something other than turkey for your holiday dinner, and for those times, this cranberry pork roast is perfect. Still elegant and impressive, but very little effort required. Succulent and savory, tender and flavorful, this cranberry pork roast is a must! With a homemade cranberry sauce, this pork roast will make you look like a gourmet cook in your kitchen! This pork loin is going to fill your house with the most mouth watering aroma ever as it cooks!
Ingredients
Pork Loin – I’m using pork loin, see below for the difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin. Olive oil – You can use whichever oil you prefer, whether it be olive oil or a super light tasting vegetable oil. Thyme – We’re just using dried thyme today, try not to use fresh for this step as we don’t want our herbs to burn and we want a nice little flavor concentrate. Spices – nutmeg and allspice. Seasoning – salt and pepper to taste. Honey – for a little bit of sweetness which is also going to help caramelize and create a beautiful crust on our pork loin. Orange Zest – Orange and pork are natural partners. The sweetness and tart flavor of the orange is the perfect complement to tender and mild pork. Cranberry Sauce – you can use store bought cranberry sauce but if you want something truly delicious, try my recipe for homemade cranberry sauce.
How To Make Cranberry Pork Roast
Pork Loin Versus Pork Tenderloin
Pork loin and tenderloin while often mistaken as the same meat, they are in fact, quite different. They do not come from the same part of the animal and actually look quite different. Pork loin comes from the back and it’s generally bigger than a tenderloin. Sometimes it’s referred to as center cut pork loin roast, pork center loin roast, pork center cut rib roast, among other names. It usually is a larger piece of meat, and can be anywhere from 2 to 5 pounds. Pork tenderloin, also known as pork filet or pork tender, comes from the muscle that runs alongside the backbone. Pork tenderloin is usually boneless while pork loin can be both boneless and with bone-in. Tenderloin usually averages about one pound per piece. For this recipe I recommend using a pork loin because they tend to cook differently and a tenderloin is much smaller in size.
Some Tips
How To Serve
This cranberry pork roast is wonderful because it’s so versatile and really goes with a number of side dishes. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve it:
Mashed Potatoes White Beans with Bacon and Herbs Harvest Rice Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts Old Fashioned Green Beans Brandy Glazed Carrots Instant Pot Baked Beans
Craving More Pork Recipes? Try These:
Rosemary Garlic Pork Roast Pan Seared Pork Chops with Gravy Pork Schnitzel Perfect Pulled Pork Crockpot Pork Carnitas Balsamic Pork Loin Pork Loin Roast
